EP0598271B1 - High-frequency power unit for neon tubes - Google Patents

High-frequency power unit for neon tubes Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0598271B1
EP0598271B1 EP93117693A EP93117693A EP0598271B1 EP 0598271 B1 EP0598271 B1 EP 0598271B1 EP 93117693 A EP93117693 A EP 93117693A EP 93117693 A EP93117693 A EP 93117693A EP 0598271 B1 EP0598271 B1 EP 0598271B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
neon
frequency power
power unit
power
transformer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93117693A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0598271A1 (en
Inventor
Makoto Noda
Fumio Ichimiya
Ryoichi Uda
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Lecip Corp
Original Assignee
Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Sanyo Denki Seisakusho KK
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP29724692A external-priority patent/JP3282150B2/ja
Priority claimed from JP29724592A external-priority patent/JP3325932B2/ja
Priority claimed from JP33879792A external-priority patent/JP3268672B2/ja
Application filed by Sanyo Electric Co Ltd, Sanyo Denki Seisakusho KK filed Critical Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Publication of EP0598271A1 publication Critical patent/EP0598271A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0598271B1 publication Critical patent/EP0598271B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/24—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by high frequency ac, or with separate oscillator frequency
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05F—SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G05F1/00—Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems
    • G05F1/10—Regulating voltage or current
    • G05F1/12—Regulating voltage or current wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is ac
    • G05F1/32—Regulating voltage or current wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is ac using magnetic devices having a controllable degree of saturation as final control devices
    • G05F1/325—Regulating voltage or current wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is ac using magnetic devices having a controllable degree of saturation as final control devices with specific core structure, e.g. gap, aperture, slot, permanent magnet
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01F—MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
    • H01F38/00—Adaptations of transformers or inductances for specific applications or functions
    • H01F38/02—Adaptations of transformers or inductances for specific applications or functions for non-linear operation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/26—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by power derived from dc by means of a converter, e.g. by high-voltage dc
    • H05B41/28—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by power derived from dc by means of a converter, e.g. by high-voltage dc using static converters
    • H05B41/282—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by power derived from dc by means of a converter, e.g. by high-voltage dc using static converters with semiconductor devices
    • H05B41/2825—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by power derived from dc by means of a converter, e.g. by high-voltage dc using static converters with semiconductor devices by means of a bridge converter in the final stage
    • H05B41/2827—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by power derived from dc by means of a converter, e.g. by high-voltage dc using static converters with semiconductor devices by means of a bridge converter in the final stage using specially adapted components in the load circuit, e.g. feed-back transformers, piezoelectric transformers; using specially adapted load circuit configurations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/36—Controlling
    • H05B41/38—Controlling the intensity of light
    • H05B41/39—Controlling the intensity of light continuously
    • H05B41/391—Controlling the intensity of light continuously using saturable magnetic devices
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S315/00—Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
    • Y10S315/07—Starting and control circuits for gas discharge lamp using transistors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a power unit for neon sign and particularly to a high-frequency power unit which boosts high-frequency power by a transformer to light neon or argon tubes connected to the secondary side thereof.
  • the commercial line power is boosted prior to its application to neon or argon tubes to light them, but this method necessitates the use of a large or bulky boosting transformer.
  • a power unit accordina to the precharacterizing portion of claim 1 is disclosed in US-A-4,414,491.
  • the inverter which is used to convert DC power to high-frequency square-wave power for supply to the neon transformer, is designed so that the duty ratio of the high-frequency power is off 50%.
  • Fig.1 illustrates an embodiment of the neon tube lighting high-frequency power unit according to the present invention, which is adapted to preclude the possibility of introducing the so-called jelly beans in the light of the neon tube.
  • the commercial AC power supply 5 is connected between the input terminals 11 and 12, and the output AC current from the AC power supply 5 is provided, if necessary, via a switch 14, to the full-wave rectifier 15, by which it is rectified.
  • the rectified output is smoothed by the smoothing circuit 16. That is, DC power is obtained in the smoothing circuit 16.
  • the capacitors C1 and C2 are connected in series between the both ends of the smoothing circuit 16.
  • the switching elements SW1 and SW2, each formed by an FET are connected in series between the both ends of the smoothing circuit 16.
  • the primary winding Wp of the neon transformer 17 is connected between the connection point of the capacitors C1 and C2 and the connection point of the switching elements SW1 and SW2.
  • the neon tube 4 is connected across the secondary winding Ws of the neon transformer 17 that is to be lighted or energized.
  • the neon tube 4 may also be a series connection of a plurality of neon tubes of a number within a rated value.
  • the Zener diode 24 and the switching regulator 22 for generating the rectangular high-frequency wave are connected across the capacitor 23.
  • the switching regulator 22 may be an IC M51996 by Mitsubishi Denki K.K. of Japan.
  • a variable resistor 28R is connected between an 11th terminal of the switching regulator 22 and the negative side (hereinafter referred to as a negative terminal) of the smoothing circuit 16, and a capacitor 28C is connected between a 10th terminal of the switching regulator 22 and the negative terminal.
  • the winding 26P is connected between a second terminal of the switching regulator 22 and the negative terminal via a resistor 27 and a capacitor 25.
  • the winding 26P is coupled to the windings 26S1 and 26S2 to form the pulse transformer 26.
  • the winding Wt is provided which is coupled to the neon transformer 17, and both ends of the winding Wt are connected to both ends of the capacitor 23 via the diode 29D and a resistor 29R.
  • the windings 26S1 and 26S2 are connected between sources and gates of the FETs that form the switching elements SW1 and SW2, respectively.
  • the DC current from the smoothing circuit 16 flows via the resistor 21 to the capacitor 23 to charge it.
  • the switching regulator 22 starts oscillation and its oscillation output is applied to the winding 26P.
  • the switching elements SW1 and SW2 are alternately turned ON and OFF by the rectangular pulses of the oscillation output.
  • the switching element SW1 is turned ON, charges stored in the capacitor C1 are discharged via the switching element SW1 and the winding Wp.
  • the switching element SW2 is turned ON, charges in the capacitor C2 are discharged via the winding Wp and the switching element SW2. In other words, current flows in the winding Wp alternately in opposite directions and a rectangular current flows therein.
  • the voltage induced in the winding Wt is rectified by the diode 29D and is charged in the capacitor 23 via the resistor 29R, by which the power voltage for the switching regulator 22 is maintained.
  • the resistor 21 needs only to supply the capacitor 23 with only a small initial charging current for starting the switching regulator 22; therefore, the resistor 21 can be made high in resistance but small in capacity.
  • the oscillation frequency of the switching regulator 22 is set in the range of 20 to 30 kHz, for instance.
  • the OFF period of the output rectangular wave depends on the product of the resistance value of the variable resistor 28R and the capacitance value of the capacitor 28C of the switching regulator 22. According to the invention, the OFF period is adjusted by the resistor 28R and the duty ratio of the rectangular output is shifted off 50%.
  • the duty ratio is set chosen in the range of 45 to 48% or 52 to 55%.
  • the neon tube 4 is lighted via the neon transformer 17, a sine-wave voltage, not a rectangular one, is provided to the neon tube 4.
  • the duty ratio is 50%, the amount of harmonic components in the high-frequency power that is applied to the neon tube 4 is so small that a standing wave is liable to be induced in the lighted neon tube 4, producing regularly-spaced-apart stripe patterns called "jelly beans" in the luminous state along the tube envelope.
  • the resistor 28R may also be a fixed resistor. Alternatively, it is possible to produce special lighting effects or neon display by preventing the generation of "jelly beans" or positively generating them through control of the variable resistor 28R.
  • the resistance value of the resistor 28R need not always be continuously varied but may also be switched between two or more values. Instead of varying the resistance of the resistor 28R, the capacitance of the capacitor 28C may be switched between two capacitance values.
  • the high-frequency rectangular power whose duty ratio is shifted off 50%, is applied to the neon transformer 17, its magnetic core (or iron core) may sometimes be nonuniformly magnetized.
  • the driving of the switching elements SW1 and SW2 is made unbalanced by the nonuniform magnetization, that is, only one of the switching element is turned ON and OFF and the other left uncontrolled. Accordingly, there is the possibility of the switching elements SW1 and SW2 being broken down by a large current flowing therein which is caused by saturation.
  • FIG.2 A possible solution to this problem is such a transformer structure as shown in Fig.2, in which the neon transformer 17 has a pair of opposed E-shaped magnetic cores 17Ca and 17Cb with their legs on one side spaced a very small gap 17G apart to form a closed magnetic path ⁇ and the primary and secondary windings Wp and Ws are wound over the legs of the both magnetic cores 17Ca and 17Cb on one and the other sides thereof, respectively.
  • the gap 17G in the magnetic path ⁇ the magnetic cores 17Ca and 17Cb are prevented from magnetic saturation.
  • the transformer 17 in this example is what is called a leakage transformer in which the leakage iron cores 17Y and 17Y are extended toward each other from the intermediate portions of the magnetic cores 17Ca and 17Cb between the primary and secondary windings Wp and Ws.
  • generation of the "jelly beans" in the neon tube connected to the neon transformer can be avoided by shifting the duty ratio of the high-frequency rectangular power off 50% and supplying the power to the neon transformer.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Inverter Devices (AREA)
  • Ac-Ac Conversion (AREA)
EP93117693A 1992-11-06 1993-11-02 High-frequency power unit for neon tubes Expired - Lifetime EP0598271B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (9)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP29724692A JP3282150B2 (ja) 1992-11-06 1992-11-06 ネオン管点灯用高周波電源装置
JP29724592 1992-11-06
JP297246/92 1992-11-06
JP297245/92 1992-11-06
JP29724692 1992-11-06
JP29724592A JP3325932B2 (ja) 1992-11-06 1992-11-06 高周波出力ネオン用電源装置
JP338797/92 1992-12-18
JP33879792 1992-12-18
JP33879792A JP3268672B2 (ja) 1992-12-18 1992-12-18 インバータ駆動回路

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0598271A1 EP0598271A1 (en) 1994-05-25
EP0598271B1 true EP0598271B1 (en) 1999-07-28

Family

ID=27338133

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93117693A Expired - Lifetime EP0598271B1 (en) 1992-11-06 1993-11-02 High-frequency power unit for neon tubes

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US5497310A (es)
EP (1) EP0598271B1 (es)
CA (1) CA2102466C (es)
DE (1) DE69325773T2 (es)
ES (1) ES2134235T3 (es)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5764494A (en) * 1997-03-13 1998-06-09 Lockheed Martin Corporation Saturable reactor and converter for use thereof
US6121732A (en) * 1997-05-06 2000-09-19 Inshore Holdings, Llc Neon lamp power supply for producing a bubble-free discharge without promoting mercury migration or premature core saturation
US6310444B1 (en) * 2000-08-10 2001-10-30 Philips Electronics North America Corporation Multiple lamp LCD backlight driver with coupled magnetic components
JP2006073955A (ja) * 2004-09-06 2006-03-16 Fujitsu Ltd 半導体装置、設計装置、レイアウト設計方法、プログラム及び記録媒体
US7477021B2 (en) * 2006-09-18 2009-01-13 Inshore Holdings, Llc Non-discontinuous neon power supply with high power factor
US8269433B2 (en) * 2007-03-12 2012-09-18 Osram Ag Circuit arrangement and method for operating a discharge lamp
CN101783596A (zh) * 2010-02-10 2010-07-21 深圳市科陆电子科技股份有限公司 电子式高压电力互感器的供能系统及方法
CN103827765B (zh) * 2011-09-30 2016-09-07 英特尔公司 在耦合与解耦状态之间切换的电感器
DE102015212022A1 (de) * 2015-04-14 2016-10-20 Tridonic Gmbh & Co Kg Transformator und LLC-Konverter zum Betreiben eines Leuchtmittels
CN107363046A (zh) * 2017-06-29 2017-11-21 中国二十冶集团有限公司 电磁式液压管道振动器
US12009146B2 (en) * 2019-05-02 2024-06-11 Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc. Magnetic integration of matrix transformer with controllable leakage inductance
US20220336148A1 (en) * 2019-09-11 2022-10-20 3M Innovative Properties Company Transformer and Device Configured to Provide a Current Limiting Power Source and a Galvanic Barrier

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3739255A (en) * 1971-12-16 1973-06-12 D Leppert High frequency ferroresonant transformer
PH11275A (en) * 1973-04-19 1977-11-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Line voltage stabilizer
JPS5146445A (en) * 1974-10-18 1976-04-20 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Koshuhakanetsusochi
US4130790A (en) * 1977-04-25 1978-12-19 Hobart Brothers Company Ferroresonant transformer power supply
US4508996A (en) * 1980-06-23 1985-04-02 Brigham Young University High frequency supply system for gas discharge lamps and electronic ballast therefor
US4414491A (en) * 1981-08-10 1983-11-08 Quietlite International, Ltd. Current limiting power supply for electron discharge lamps
US4583156A (en) * 1983-10-03 1986-04-15 Boschert Incorporated Switching mode power supply using saturable reactors
US4727470A (en) * 1986-10-10 1988-02-23 Nilssen Ole K Resonant inverter having crest factor control
US4902942A (en) * 1988-06-02 1990-02-20 General Electric Company Controlled leakage transformer for fluorescent lamp ballast including integral ballasting inductor
US5099407A (en) * 1990-09-24 1992-03-24 Thorne Richard L Inverter with power factor correction circuit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0598271A1 (en) 1994-05-25
CA2102466A1 (en) 1994-05-07
ES2134235T3 (es) 1999-10-01
CA2102466C (en) 1997-03-25
US5497310A (en) 1996-03-05
DE69325773T2 (de) 2000-05-25
DE69325773D1 (de) 1999-09-02

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